padgrad is a free career platform for UK graduates. It matches jobs to your degree, generates AI-powered CV checks and cover letters, and sends daily personalised job digests matched to your field of study.

Yes. You get 10 free credits on sign-up to use on AI CV checks and cover letters. All other tools — job matching, budgeting, application tracking, rejection logging — are free with no credit card required.

How does the AI CV Checker work?

Upload your CV and paste a job description. The AI analyses your CV against the role requirements, gives you an ATS compatibility score out of 100, and tells you exactly what keywords and formatting changes to make — helping you pass automated screening systems used by UK graduate recruiters.

How many jobs should I apply for as a graduate?

UK graduates typically need to send between 20 and 50 applications to land a role, with top graduate schemes receiving an average of 58 applications per vacancy. Focus on quality over quantity — tailor each CV and cover letter to the role rather than spamming the same application everywhere.

How long does it take to get a graduate job in the UK?

Most UK graduates take between 3 and 6 months to land their first graduate role, though it varies by sector. Consulting, tech, and investment banking tend to have faster hiring cycles. The civil service fast stream and larger graduate schemes can take 4-6 months from application to offer.

What is the average graduate salary in the UK for 2026?

The median graduate salary in the UK for 2026 is around £28,000-£32,000 depending on sector. Investment banking, law, and tech pay the highest (£35,000+), while public sector and charity roles typically start lower (£24,000-£27,000). Regional salaries average 10-20% lower outside London.

How do I write a graduate CV with no work experience?

Focus on transferable skills from your degree — research projects, group assignments, presentations, and coursework. Include volunteering, society memberships, part-time jobs, and any placements or internships. Use Padgrad's CV Builder to structure your CV for ATS systems, then run it through the AI CV Checker to see how it scores.

How are jobs matched to my degree on padgrad?

We scrape thousands of UK graduate jobs daily and match them to over 300 specific degree fields. Whether you studied Biology, Law, Engineering, Psychology, or History — we only show you roles that fit your subject area and send them straight to your daily digest.

Do graduate schemes pay well?

Graduate schemes in the UK typically pay between £25,000 and £35,000 in the first year, with some industries paying significantly more. Law firms and investment banks often start at £45,000-£55,000. Most schemes also offer benefits like bonuses, pension contributions, and professional qualification sponsorship.

How many applications does it take to get a graduate job?

Research from High Fliers shows the UK's top employers receive an average of 58 applications per graduate vacancy. Most successful graduates send 20-40 tailored applications before receiving an offer. Track every application using Padgrad's Application Tracker to spot which types of roles you progress furthest in.

Can I apply for graduate jobs before I graduate?

Yes — most large graduate schemes open applications in September and October for roles starting the following September, so you should apply in your final year. Smaller companies and direct-entry roles tend to hire closer to the start date. Padgrad's daily job digest includes both graduate schemes and entry-level roles you can apply for straight away.

What should a graduate CV include?

A strong graduate CV should include: your degree with predicted or achieved grade, relevant modules and dissertation topic, transferable skills (research, teamwork, communication), part-time work or volunteering, technical skills and software proficiency, and a personal profile. Most recruiters spend under 10 seconds scanning a CV — use Padgrad's AI CV Checker to make sure yours passes the six-second test.

Discover Your Career Personality: The RIASEC Quiz That Matches UK Graduates to the Right Paths

A UK graduate guide to career quiz — TL;DR: The free Career Quiz on Padgrad uses the RIASEC (Holland Code) framework — the most widely used career personalit.

TL;DR:

The free Career Quiz on Padgrad uses the RIASEC (Holland Code) framework — the most widely used career personality model in the world
15 quick questions, under 3 minutes, no sign-up cost
You get a 3-letter Holland Code (e.g. "SEC" or "IRC") with matched career paths, ideal work environments, and degree alignment
Combine your results with the AI CV Checker and AI Cover Letter tools for a complete application strategy

Why Your Career Personality Matters

By the time you finish your degree, you have been asked "what do you want to do?" roughly a thousand times. The problem is — most graduates do not actually know. And a generic Google search for "graduate jobs near me" does not help when you have not figured out what kind of work you will actually enjoy.

That is where the RIASEC model (also called Holland Codes) comes in. Developed by psychologist John Holland in the 1950s and refined over decades, it is the most validated career personality framework used by career services, university advisors, and professional recruiters worldwide.

The idea is simple: people thrive in work environments that match their personality type. When your day-to-day tasks align with your natural preferences, you are more engaged, more productive, and far less likely to burn out within your first year.

The Six RIASEC Personality Types

The model divides personalities into six categories. Most people are a blend of three — hence your 3-letter Holland Code.

Realistic (R) — "The Doer"

Prefers hands-on work, building, fixing, or operating things. Thinks in practical, tangible outcomes. Typical careers: engineering, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, skilled trades.

Investigative (I) — "The Thinker"

Enjoys analysing problems, researching, and working with ideas. Curious, analytical, and happiest when there is a puzzle to solve. Typical careers: science, medicine, data analysis, research, technology.

Artistic (A) — "The Creator"

Values self-expression, creativity, and originality. Prefers unstructured environments where they can innovate. Typical careers: design, writing, marketing, architecture, media production.

Social (S) — "The Helper"

Motivated by helping, teaching, and connecting with others. Draws energy from collaboration and making a difference. Typical careers: teaching, healthcare, counselling, HR, community work.

Enterprising (E) — "The Persuader"

Driven by leadership, influence, and results. Enjoys selling ideas, managing people, and building things from scratch. Typical careers: business, law, sales, entrepreneurship, management consulting.

Conventional (C) — "The Organiser"

Thrives on structure, order, and clear systems. Detail-oriented and reliable in roles that reward precision. Typical careers: accounting, finance, administration, project management, logistics.

How the Padgrad Career Quiz Works

The Career Quiz takes about 3 minutes and asks 15 carefully designed questions that probe your preferences across work style, problem-solving approach, social interaction, and environment. It is completely free — no credit cost.

Here is what you get back:

Your 3-letter Holland Code — the primary blend that describes your career personality (e.g. "SEC" for Social-Enterprising-Conventional)
Matched career paths — a curated list of graduate roles and sectors where people with your profile tend to thrive
Work environment fit — insight into whether you will do best in a structured corporate setting, a collaborative team, or an independent research role
Degree alignment — context on how your degree subject maps to compatible career clusters

Using Your Results for a Stronger Job Application

Knowing your Holland Code is not just interesting — it is actionable. Here is how to turn it into a better application strategy using Padgrad free tools:

1. Tailor Your CV to Your Career Personality

Use the CV Builder to create a professional, ATS-friendly CV. Then run it through the AI CV Checker to see how well your skills and experience align with your target roles. A candidate with an Investigative (I) profile applying for research roles should lead with analytical achievements; a Social (S) type going into teaching should highlight mentoring and communication.

2. Write Cover Letters That Sound Like You

The AI Cover Letter tool lets you choose from four tones — Professional, Passionate, Concise, or Evidence-Heavy. Pick the tone that matches your RIASEC profile. An Artistic (A) type might get the best results with the Passionate tone; a Conventional (C) type might prefer the Professional option.

3. Target Applications That Fit

Use the Application Tracker to organise your job hunt by compatibility. Create custom columns or tags for roles that match your Holland Code versus ones that do not — see over time whether applications that align with your personality get better results.

4. Budget for Your Chosen Path

Different career paths pay differently. Use the Budget Calculator to compare take-home pay across the roles you are considering. A Social (S) career in the public sector might offer more purpose but a different salary trajectory than an Enterprising (E) role in sales or consulting.

RIASEC and Graduate Schemes: What to Watch For

If you are applying to graduate schemes, most large employers design their programmes to attract a mix of personality types. But some schemes lean heavily toward certain profiles:

Consulting & finance: Strong Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C) lean — structured, results-driven, fast-paced
Technology & engineering: High Investigative (I) and Realistic (R) — problem-solving, technical depth, hands-on projects
Marketing & creative: Artistic (A) and Enterprising (E) — ideas meet execution, brand storytelling, campaign ownership
Public sector & education: Social (S) and Conventional (C) — service-oriented, structured progression, collaborative culture

Knowing this means you can target schemes that will actually suit you — not just the ones your flatmate is applying to.

What the Research Says

The RIASEC model is not a Buzzfeed quiz. It is backed by decades of vocational psychology research. Studies consistently show that people working in environments matching their Holland Code report higher job satisfaction, better performance ratings, and lower turnover rates. It is the same framework used by the NHS careers service, Prospects.ac.uk, and most university career centres.

That said, no personality test should limit your options. Think of your RIASEC result as a starting point for exploration, not a box you are locked into. The best career decisions come from combining personality insight with real-world experimentation — trying work experience, talking to people in the field, and using practical tools to build your applications.

Get Started in 3 Minutes

Ready to find out your career personality? Take the free Career Quiz on Padgrad now. No credit card, no sign-up cost — just 15 questions that could change how you think about your career.

And once you have your results, explore the rest of Padgrad free toolset — from the AI CV Checker to the Application Tracker and Rejection Log — to turn insight into offers.